"If A Man Dies..."

To U.S. soldiers overseas, rotation (periodic furloughs home) is one of the grim jokes of the war. Homesick G.I.s stuck in New Guinea for the past two years recently composed their own G.I. version of eligibility "for relief via rotation":

Applicants for furloughs must have "at least three broken limbs . . . the Order of the Purple Heart with at least two Oak Leaf Clusters ... at least five of the following medals: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Iron Cross, Order of the Knight of the Bath, Navy Cross, Legion of Merit, Hero of the Soviet Union."

But "the following, even though they may possess the above qualifications, will not be eligible:

"1) Men who . . . have contracted any of the following diseases: athlete's foot, scurvy, beriberi, housemaid's knee, ringworm, malaria, St. Vitus' dance, bubonic plague, cold, sore throat, sore back, body odor or halitosis.

"2) Men who have been in New Guinea for a period in excess of 30 days. . . .

"Among those eligible for rotation the following precedence has been established :

"1) Men over 55 years of age who have completed 44 consecutive years of faithful service overseas.

"2) Married men with 12 or more children. Must have been formally engaged prior to Dec. 7, 1941.

"3) Men who have become deceased. . . . If a man dies while waiting to be rotated it will be interpreted that he does not wish to return to the U.S. and application will be automatically canceled."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.